Readers love nicknames
Here’s something I already knew but was reminded of this week. Readers love to read about nicknames. It’s got to be one of the top five subjects, on a long-term basis, that I’ve ever written about. Anyway, I thought I’d share a few comments, including some ideas on nicknames, from readers.
Pete wrote, “Several weeks ago while watching OU and Sam (Bradford) play, it came to me. I remember the days of great nicknames in sports. For several weeks now, at least around my house, he is the Cherokee Kid. Thus I suppose he is Sam “the Cherokee Kid” Bradford. I see nothing there that has any disrespect to the tribes and he is Cherokee and is a kid. Just seems to fit. Bob Stoops can keep on coaching, Ernie Els can keep his nickname and you can coach nicknaming. You are still doing a good job and I am hoping that Coach Stoops never hollers at Jenni. Like her writing also.”
I like it. I might use it. I might be rejected by editors. But I like it.
Mack wrote, “It seems that nicknames probably ought to apply to Sports Writer types also. How about ‘Kennel Blind’ for Scott Wright, ‘Poison Pen’ for Jenni Carlson, and ‘EGO MAN’ for yourself. As you have said, ‘Don’t sugar coat it.
Hey, what did Scott Wright ever do to anybody?
David thought the nickname column was “great. I help coach a 9-year-old football team. When we started this team 5 years ago, the other coaches and myself would give players nicknames based on their personality. As the players got older, the nicknames stuck and most are known by them at home, school and on the field. It has become a right of passage on our team to earn a nickname. Our roster lists all of our player’s nicknames (on the team website).
Some of the highlights: ‘Cheese;’ his first name is Colby, so you have colby cheese. His brother is named Mackinzie and is nicknamed Mac. So you have Mac and Cheese. ‘Wheels,’ who is a running back. ’Bulldog,’ a little guy, but what people don’t see is that under that uniform he is all muscle and nothing but power and strength. ‘Boomer,’ the first time he kicked off this year he boomed a kick deep. ‘GQ,’ who is our QB. This kid changes clothes 10 times a day. He freaks out if his undershirt clashes with his jersey. He is the first to point out to his teammates if their under armor shirt doesn’t match the uniform. Shoot, our kids go by their nicknames so much, that I had to start putting them in our highlight videos because most of the parents don’t know the first names of the kids on our team.”
As a lover of nicknames, I must salute David. I thought I was reading about the Bronco Nagurski Bears. Of course, one big difference. The Monsters of the Midway never had a web site or a highlight video.
Robert wrote, “Your mention of Doctor Strangeglove stirred childhood memories. What a great nickname! It captured not only Stuart’s fielding ineptitude but played off a classic film that helped define that era. It might be fun sometime to come up with an all-time nickname team for the sports. My vote for that club’s first baseman wouldn’t be Stuart, however, but for my al-ltime favorite nickname, Irv “Foursack” Dousack.”
I pride myself on baseball history, but I’ve got to admit, I’ve never heard of Foursack Dousack. So I looked him up. Alas, I couldn’t find a reference to the great Irv “Foursack” Dousack. Perhaps a sandlot legend who never made it big.
Frank attributed the dearth of nicknames to political correctness: “It was with great sadness I read your article concerning the demise of the great past time of conferring nicknames on sports figures. However, I believe I can shed some light on the lack of such. PC. Yep, that insidious disease that has invaded every nook and cranny of our society today. I’ll quickly run down your published list and explain.
“1. Wahoo McDaniel – sounds too much like ‘Wahoo! I won the jackpot!’. Can’t have a gambling slant, now can we? 2. Mule Train Heath – Come on now, the PETA crowd is going to be all over this. Poor mules. How dare we hitch these poor animals up and work them, like, well mules. 3. Indian Jack Jacobs – I really shouldn’t have to explain who’s comin’ after you on this one. Can’t have our Native Americans (what does that really mean anyway? Didn’t the ‘Native’ Americans come across the Bering Sea land bridge during the last ice age? So why are they ‘Native’?) 4. Snorter Luster – What’s he been snorten’? Send him to the labs for testing!!!! Ban him for life! Has he been hangin’ with that Williams kid? 5.Cactus Face Duggan – Oh man, are you insensitive. Poor Gilford. I’m sure he was scared for life by this one. Didn’t he land on skid row somewhere?
“No, Mr. Tramel, sadly it isn’t that we have ‘lost the touch’, we have ‘lost the will’ to stand up for what we think and be willing to defend our rights to tell others to mind their own damn business. Wow, this is all pretty insensitive of me, isn’t it? Got to go, I’m going to enroll in some sensitivity training right now!”
Frank ‘ugler than the south end of a Missouri mule’
Frank made me laugh out loud. Let me make two points. Anyone who calls themself “Frank, uglier than the south end of a Missouri mule,” I’ve got to see for myself. Sounds like he could make Cactus Face a looker. And while Frank is either extremely funny or extremely angry, he’s got a point. PC does prohibit us from calling guys certain nicknames. For instance, Indian Jack Jacobs in 1940 was OK. Indian Sam Bradford, not going to happen.
Alan wrote, “My uncle played for OU from 1939-41 and was known as ‘Tree Top’ Sharpe because of his height. No one seemed to know that his name was Lou. It seems like everyone on the team at the time had nicknames, not all of them were flattering. One example was a player named Shadid that they called ‘the goat’ because he was so ugly.”
I didn’t understand the Shadid-goat connection, but then again, my farm experience is sort of like B.J. Hunnicut on M*A*S*H*. I stepped in some manure once.
Jim wrote, “I also like the names Jake the Snake (Plummer) and Blue Moon Odom. Blue Moon worked for me at a Xerox plant in Southern California in the 1980’s. At the time of the plant closing I think he got arrested for drugs. I got his autograph on a box of whiskey he got me for a present one year.”
Blue Moon was on the 1971 Oakland pitching staff with Catfish Hunter and Mudcat Grant, forming quite likely the greatest collection of pitching nicknames ever assembled.
Shannon wrote, “Just a couple of suggestions for nicknames to be used in headlines referring to the Great Sam Bradford. Shotgun Sam and Wham Bam, Thank You Sam! If I think of anymore, I’ll send them on. By the way, I thought Sudden Sam was a pretty cool name.”
Splendid email. Endorsing one of my nicknames (Sudden Sam), giving me one even better (Shotgun Sam) and giving us a great headline for the future.
Eric wrote, “Interesting column on nicknames. I’ve been very impressed with the play of the Sooners’ d-end Auston English this season. If I had to give him a nickname, it would be something like, ‘Sonic Boom.’”
I think opposing quarterbacks would agree.
Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.
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Bob Fenimore was the “Blond Bomber,” you know.
Ervin “Four Sack” Dusak was a journeyman outfielder for the Cardinals in the post-war ’40s. Some of his teammates were:
Enos “Country” Slaughter
Harry “the Cat” Brecheen
Stan “the Man” Musial
Harry “the Hat” Walker.
Yes, times have changed since “Dr. Strangeglove” (Dick Stuart) played at being a firstbaseman for Pittsburgh and Boston and Willie “Pudd’n'head” Jones played thirdbase for the Phillies.
Oklahomans (aside from the aforementioned Brecheen) with Major League nicknames included:
“The Commerce Comet” – Mickey Mantle
“The Super Chief” – Allie Reynolds
“The Meeker Meal Ticket” – “King” Carl Hubbel
and,
Al “Flip” Rosen,”the Big Bear” Mike Garcia and “Handsome Ransom” (Randy) Jackson each starred for the old Oklahoma City Indians before moving on to successful major league careers.